A large group of students hold up Sustainable Development Goals and smile

Generating Momentum For Our World Conferences

Cover photo: students at a Generating Momentum conference celebrate the event.

Since 2002, MCIC has hosted Generating Momentum for Our World conferences on international development issues for middle years and high school students.

These unique one-day events bring together students from schools and communities across Manitoba with a focus on the biggest challenges facing our world and how we can take action and inspire others to do the same.

2025 Conference Dates Now Available!

Join us for two exciting conferences designed to engage students in global issues and empower them as active global citizens.

Brandon Conference
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Location: Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium

Winnipeg Conference
Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Location: Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Registration Information:
Teachers can bring 6–8 students to each event.
Registration fee: $20 per student (no charge for teachers).
Workshop topics will vary depending on facilitator availability, with creative and interactive sessions offered as listed below.
To receive a registration package or for more details, please email youth@mcic.ca.

Conference Theme

Sewing expert helps a student with stiches

This year’s Generating Momentum theme is the fashion industry–with a focus on fast fashion–which touches on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Fashion is a unique topic as we all must participate in the fashion industry because we all wear clothes!

Whether or not your students (or you) consider themselves fashionistas, this year’s Generating Momentum conferences will be fun, engaging and educational for everyone.

Student participants will:

  • explore and learn about key global issues,
  • develop or improve leadership and public speaking skills,
  • be inspired to take positive action and
  • have fun! Conferences include creative, hands-on workshops.

A brief overview of a Generating Momentum conference:

  • Kick-off the conference (introduction)
  • Opening group activity
  • Skills circuit (small groups) on such themes as:
    • Leadership
    • Public speaker and communication
    • Problem-solving
    • Planning, strategy, and organization
  • Lunch
  • Creative workshops (small groups) led by specialists on skills such as:
    • Silk-screening
    • Poetry/spoken word
    • Photography
    • Theatre/improv
    • Sewing/mending
    • Beading
    • Up/downcycling clothing
  • Closing group activity

While students are busy in the afternoon creative workshops, teachers and educators participate in a session designed just for them. This is an opportunity for teachers to share and develop ways of incorporating the SDGs and cultivating global citizenship in their classrooms. 

To bring a Generating Momentum conference to your school or community, please contact our Education Specialist by email at youth@mcic.ca or call 204-987-6422.

Testimonials

“This is a big topic; it feels like we can be stuck and not making progress. Having the GM [conference] generated momentum for the kids, yes, but also for the adults. It was so nice that Amanda and the team came in, and I don’t know if we could have organized all of that as a committee on our own.” – Krista Curry, Superintendent, Border Land School Division, Altona

Amanda smiling in front of the SDGs

“Our students came back from the conference excited to plan the clothing swap. We were inspired to try for the first time, and it was a success! I know we would not have tried it if it weren’t for this conference.”  – Amanda Tétrault (pictured here, left, with Jessica Condo speaking at MCIC's Annual General Meeting), Inclusive Education Resource Teacher, École River Heights School, Winnipeg

For more inspiration, watch the short video below to hear from past participants on their experiences.